I'm looking to upgrade my RAM from 16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 to 32GB, but not to DDR5 since that's out of my budget. I have a few options: (a) I could buy a new 32GB DDR4 3200MHz kit, which is pretty expensive, (b) I could get a 16GB DDR4 3200MHz kit now and then buy another later, or (c) just stick with an additional 16GB 2666MHz module. I'm leaning towards upgrading because I do game development and media production, and I wonder if moving to 3200MHz is worth it for me. What's the real performance difference when upgrading from 2666MHz to 3200MHz? Any advice would be super helpful!
3 Answers
I'd recommend just grabbing another 16GB of 2666MHz RAM. It’s the simplest solution and will work fine. You can always sell it later if you decide to switch to faster RAM down the road. Just double-check that your motherboard can handle all the sticks you’re adding!
If you're mainly into gaming and production work, getting to 32GB is more significant than just jumping to faster speeds. Adding another 16GB 2666MHz will give you a noticeable boost in performance for your projects. Going to 3200MHz might help a little, but the extra capacity matters more right now, especially if prices are concerning.
What do you mean by 'too expensive'? Sometimes RAM prices fluctuate a lot, and you might find a good deal if you keep an eye out. From what I've seen, differences between 2666MHz and 3200MHz aren't huge in terms of pricing, so you might want to look at sales.
Good point! I’ll check my motherboard compatibility before buying.